1
: an added name derived from occupation or other circumstance : nickname sense 1
2
: the name borne in common by members of a family
Examples of surname in a Sentence
Noun
judging from your surname, I'd guess that your family is Italian
“da Vinci” was Leonardo's surname but not his family name, Vinci being the town near Florence where the great artist was born
Recent Examples on the Web
Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
The surname of Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo) will be familiar to fans of both the novel and its adaptations, as it's shared by Mike, a key member of the Losers' Club who goes on to become the town's librarian (and the researcher of the interludes on which Welcome to Derry is based).
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Dec. 2025
Steven Jiang, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
Local police in Jiangyou said the incident took place July 22, when a 15-year-old girl surnamed Liu and two others, ages 13 and 14, assaulted the 14-year-old victim, surnamed Lai, in a vacant building.
—Peter Guo, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2025
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Noun
The family had moved from Ukraine to Australia in the 1990s, and enjoyed walks on the beach, picnics in the park and walks to the zoo, said Matilda’s aunt Lina, who did not wish to share the family’s surname.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
The surname of Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo) will be familiar to fans of both the novel and its adaptations, as it's shared by Mike, a key member of the Losers' Club who goes on to become the town's librarian (and the researcher of the interludes on which Welcome to Derry is based).
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Dec. 2025
Verb
One user, surnamed Zhao, told CNN that the two apps enabled friends to meet especially in the less cosmopolitan parts of the country where places for gay people to gather are almost non-existent.
—Steven Jiang, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
Local police in Jiangyou said the incident took place July 22, when a 15-year-old girl surnamed Liu and two others, ages 13 and 14, assaulted the 14-year-old victim, surnamed Lai, in a vacant building.
—Peter Guo, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surname
Cite this Entry
“Surname.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surname. Accessed 23 Dec. 2025.
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